Fall of Recovery
by gosgirl
Summary: Part two of the Seasons series. Established Gabby, following on from Summer of Extremes. A series of tags / missing scenes from Recovery to Gone. The rest of Season 10 be covered in the next two parts of this series: Winter Squall and Chasing Spring.
1. Chapter 1: Building for the Future

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: Part 2 of the 'Seasons' series_. _Was going to start from episode 2, _Recovery _but I got swamped by cabin bunnies following the season 10 finale! So the first few chapters will start right from the end of _Summer of Extremes_. I mean, come on... Gibbs... cabin... it's a no brainer!

_Fall _will be a series of tags / missing scenes right up to _Gone_. Some will be short tags (yes, really… short!) and other episodes will probably cover a few chapters. The rest of Season 10 be covered in the next two bits of this series: _Winter Squall _and _Chasing Spring._

This chapter was originally written for the Gabby Shipper Forum Hiatus prompt – water. Huge thanks to Gibbsredhoodie for being an awesome beta, Bamacrush for the cabin back story and With the Grain for the location and anything cabin related coz she's got one of her own, although sadly without a resident Gibbs! Almost ready with a Tibbs story to start posting too – _Slow Burn._

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Building for the Future**

"You're not going to tell me where we're going, are you?"

Abby stared at the man beside her, taking in the twinkle in his blue eyes as he briefly took his attention off the road to glance over before shaking his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Nope."

"Hmm... I could torture you until you begged and worm it out of you that way," she warned him, laying a hand on his thigh, nails scraping lightly over the material of his jeans, leaving him in no doubt about the kind of torture she was referring to.

Abby felt the muscle jump under her fingers as Gibbs replied, chuckling, "You could try."

"And succeed usually... what was it you were growling at me this morning? Oh yeah, I remember now," she lowered her voice. "Don't stop... And I would've answered but I had a mouthful at the time."

The look she got was full of heat and his hand came off the steering wheel to cover hers where it still rested on his thigh, squeezing her fingers. "As much as I love what you can do with that tongue, I'd probably wreck the truck if we tried that while I was driving."

"Hmm... point taken." She leaned her head on his shoulder and felt him press a kiss to her hair. "We'll christen it some other day then."

She was sitting in her favorite spot in the truck, right in the middle, smooshed up against him, touching from shoulder to thigh. They were heading out of D.C. on one of their rare weekends not on call and he'd told her to pack an overnight bag.

But she had no idea where they were heading or where they'd be staying overnight, because the dratted man wouldn't tell her... which brought her back to her original thought.

"Okay, stop distracting me... rewind to my original question."

"Which I answered," he pointed out, smirking.

"No, you didn't," Abby protested before reluctantly conceding. "Well, okay, strictly speaking you did answer the letter of my question but not exactly the spirit of it. So, replay, repeat, rewind. Where... are... we... going?"

Gibbs glanced her way again, an eyebrow arching. "You can work it out... work the evidence."

"The evidence, huh?" Abby eyed him for a moment, gazing at his profile. "You mean other than that insufferably smug grin on your face?"

"Yeah, other than that."

Her eyes roamed over his face, taking in his relaxed expression, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners, as his mouth curved in a boyish grin that she was tempted to kiss it off his face.

The sleeves of his plaid shirt were rolled up tanned forearms, drawing attention to those large hands, and the ever present white T-shirt peeked through at the neck, and he was wearing snugger than usual cargo pants.

She dragged her eyes away from him reluctantly. "Okay then, the evidence... leaving aside the fact that you look good enough to eat."

"Thought you did that this morning."

They exchanged grins, Abby's mind going back to how she'd woken him up that morning.

"Moving on... for now." She ticked off the points on her fingers as she thought it through. "Okay... exhibit A, we have enough camping gear in the back to hole up somewhere for weeks just like Grizzly Adams... and I'm pleased to see, a double sleeping bag."

"Of course."

"Nice to see you've got your priorities right there, Gibbs. I approve." She patted his leg. "And did I see fishing gear packed away back there... so with one of those huge deductive leaps I'm famous for, I'm guessing we might be going fishing at some point this weekend."

Gibbs tilted his head, smiling. "There might be fishing."

"Lake or river?"

Gibbs considered for a minute as if deciding how much to reveal. "Lake."

Abby opened her mouth before closing it again and rolling her eyes at him. "Well, there's a few of those we could reach out this way, so that doesn't really help... large or small?"

"We talking about the lake now?"

"We are... behave!" Abby protested, and he merely shot her an amused glance as he answered. "C'mon... large or small?"

"Medium."

"Medium, huh?" She stared out of the window for a few minutes.

"Waiting, Abbs."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm thinking."

"Thought I could hear the wheels turning," he replied, a slight grin tugging at his mouth.

"Just let me think and stop interrupting. Okay, we also have water with us, a _lot_ of water," Abby glanced through the back window where the large water containers were strapped down in the flatbed of the truck. "So we're not heading for a recognised campsite with facilities... which is good, coz I can't see you tolerating any neighbours when you go camping, but things can get seriously noisy with me at night and the neighbours might complain."

"No kidding."

"And that's before you start begging," she grinned as he chuckled. "So... no running water then... or should I say we're not within easy reach of safe running water, hmm?" she peered at his face but he merely raised an eyebrow at her. "Stop trying to look innocent coz it's totally not working. C'mon, Gibbs, you gotta give me some clues here."

"Okay... you got that right. No safe water supply... yet," he added.

"Yet?" She narrowed her eyes at him, seeing the smirk. "Hmm... did you just give me a clue there, Special Agent Gibbs?"

"Maybe," he conceded.

"Not much of one. And you've got food with us, so I'm guessing we're not gonna get a pizza delivery later?"

Gibbs grinned. "Knew there was something missing from this place."

"Okay... camping in the middle of nowhere, with _maybe_ fishing _and_ we've got our own food and water. That's the what. What about the where?" She looked at him and he inclined his head and she huffed, rolling her eyes. "Okay... I know, work the evidence. Alright, the evidence is we're heading west so we're clearly not going to Rock Creek Park, which I'm pleased about coz that would hardly be a restful weekend, the place is full of dead petty officers."

Gibbs laughed. "Think we only see its bad side, Abbs."

"Mmm, maybe... jury's out on that one." She waved her hand. "But we're heading too far north of west to be going to Shenandoah and I'm glad about that too coz, seriously Gibbs, that should be another no sail zone for the Navy... there should be a sign outside saying, abandon hope all Navy personnel who enter here. That place is a death trap..."

"Well, now you've trashed that tourist spot too, where else?... c'mon, where d'ya think?"

Abby held up her hands as she thought furiously, before slumping in defeat, folding her arms. "I have absolutely no idea. You haven't given me nearly enough clues. We could be going anywhere... and the way you drive, it could be a fairly wide search area... like as far as Wisconsin."

He snorted, nudging her. "Then close your eyes and I'll tell ya when we get there."

Abby giggled. "Oh, are we back to last night again when you blindfolded me and kept me hanging on the edge?" She held up a finger as he gave her a lop-sided grin. "I know... why didn't I think of it before. I'm a total idiot."

She grabbed her bag off the floor and rummaged inside, triumphantly pulling out with her phone. "I can use the GPS on my phone as we travel... compare it to Google maps and work it out from there when we get... wherever it is we're going."

"Or... you could look out the window."

Abby poked her tongue out at him. "Spoilsport. It's much more fun this way."

* * *

After several wrong guesses as they drove west, which only increased Gibbs' amusement and Abby's exasperation, she eventually narrowed it down purely by having nothing else on the map but this lake as they turned off the main highway onto a minor road.

"Aha! I've got it." She compared her flashing phone screen with the sign they'd just passed. "So... what's at Lake Oliver?"

"A lake," came the dry reply.

"Funny guy." She examined the map on her phone again. "Well, it's gotta be there we're heading for coz this is a dead end."

"Is it?" He asked innocently, grinning at Abby.

She poked his side. "You are having _way _too much fun with this, y'know."

"Uh-huh." Gibbs turned the truck off the minor road into a rough track into the woods.

They drove down the gravelly surface for about a quarter of a mile, eventually pulling up in a clearing with enough space for several vehicles and Gibbs stopped the truck at the end of the track.

He turned off the engine, turning to Abby with a grin. "We're here."

Abby unbuckled her safety belt, pushing at him and fumbling to undo his belt. "Well, let me out then... I want to see where _here_ is."

"You could get out your side, y'know." Gibbs smothered a grin as Abby virtually shoved him out of the truck ahead of her, clambering out behind him.

"Too much effort... get moving." She gazed round eagerly as Gibbs closed the truck door behind her.

They were completely surrounded by trees, with a narrower track heading off from where the road ended but still just wide enough for a vehicle.

In the distance, Abby could see the sun glinting off water, barely showing through the trees further round the slope of the hill. "Is that the lake? Lake Oliver?"

"Yup."

"Can we go see... I wanna see." Abby started off in that direction and Gibbs grabbed her hand.

He reeled her back into his side. "In a bit... something else I wanna show ya first."

"Okay, cool..." She turned to face him, entwining their fingers. "You been here before?"

Gibbs nodded. "Came here fishing with Mike." He gestured around him. "He used to come here and unwind... try and get his head straight after bad cases."

"Mike's basement," she said softly, gazing around her with new eyes.

Gibbs nodded, pleased she'd made the connection. "Yeah... he loved it here. So do I."

Abby grinned widely at the reminder of their friend and moved closer to slide her arms round his waist. "You come here often still?"

"Yeah... off and on. More so lately." He settled his own arms round her, resting his hands on her lower back.

"And now you've brought me here too... I love that thought. Can we go fishing later?" She kissed him softly and he cupped her face in his hands as he drew out the kiss.

When he pulled back, he murmured against her mouth. "Sure. That's why I brought the gear. Come see this first."

Gibbs tugged on her hand and led her along the narrow track, Abby asking questions all the way with barely a breath in between. He ignored most of them, shaking his head in amusement at her excitement.

Abby looked round her eagerly as they walked through the trees, taking in the quiet and tranquillity of the place, imagining Mike here.

While she could see the lake at a distance through the trees, she couldn't hear any boat noise and judging by the distance from the paved road and the lack of any other obvious access roads to other buildings nearby, wherever they were seemed to be a fair way from any neighbours... which she knew would have suited both men.

And Gibbs was obviously up to something, beyond teasing her about where they were going.

Gibbs had a boyish enthusiasm and playfulness about him today that she loved to see. And since they'd gotten together, she seemed to be seeing it more and more and it warmed her heart more than she could say that she might be even partly responsible for it.

She came out of her thoughts when they emerged from the track into another clearing, which looked recently cleared, the felled trees stacked off to one side and the ground levelled.

Gibbs came up behind her as she gazed round at her surroundings, wrapping his arms round her waist and she leaned back into his solid warmth as he began to explain. "Mike bought the land stretching from back there and going on down to the lake. He meant to build on it some day."

"But he never got round to it?"

She felt him shake his head. "He was gonna retire here... before he got pissed off with this country and decided on Baja instead."

"So did Mike clear all this at some point before he left and do the road as well?" She answered her own question as she examined her surroundings more closely. "No, this is all newly done... you did it?"

"Yup." He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Well, a Marine buddy did it for me when I took it over."

Abby twisted her head to see his face. "What are you planning to do?... Wait, you mean this is all yours now?"

There was that crooked grin again. "Mike left it to me. While he was in D.C., he kept bugging me to build a cabin on it for him... then when he retired, he just held onto the land."

"Maybe he was intending to leave it to you all along?" she suggested quietly.

Gibbs shrugged. "Maybe... Had no idea he was gonna do that. Thought he was gonna leave it to Leyla and Amira."

"You'd think maybe Leyla would wanna sell it... get some money," Abby added.

"Yeah," Gibbs agreed. "S'what I thought but Leyla didn't wanna do that... seems okay with me having it."

"Wow, that's so awesome... and_ so_ Mike."

And even more awesome was that Gibbs was not only telling her about it but he'd brought her here to this place that must have been a special get-away for both men.

Gibbs chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Yeah... it is."

She turned in his arms and kissed him. "Thank you for showing me... for sharing it with me."

"Gonna do more than that, Abbs... at least I hope so." He fished a bunch of papers out of his back pocket and handed it to her and she could see his piercing blue eyes twinkling with an almost boyish enthusiasm.

Abby opened the papers and her eyes widened as she saw the neatly drawn up plans for a cabin.

She gazed up at him, astonished and he grinned, spinning her round again and gesturing at the clearing in front of them, moving her hand so the drawing was in her line of sight so she could picture what he was showing her in the flesh.

"Gonna build _that_, there." His arms came round her again and he murmured in her ear. "Wanna help?"

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2: Getting Started

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: I'm still in cabin land... I may be some time...

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Getting Started**

"_Gonna build that, there." His arms came round her again and he murmured in her ear. "Wanna help?" _

* * *

Abby's eyes widened as she looked from the drawing to the space where the cabin would stand.

"Do I wanna help?! Are you kidding me?! Is the Pope even slightly Catholic?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Maybe just a bit." He kissed her neck before releasing her and walking towards the clearing, leaving Abby standing there, but pretty sure she'd be right behind him.

He grinned to himself as he heard hurried footsteps and turned to see Abby walking towards him, arms waving, her eyes wide. He walked backwards, enjoying her excitement as she followed him.

"Wait, Gibbs... Of course I wanna help. When do we start? I mean, I can see you've already started coz you've cleared the road and cleared the, erm… clearing, and made this path, but what's next? And what d'ya do first?"

Abby waved her arms at the area round them, spinning a complete circle. "I mean, I know you've built a boat before but I'm guessing building a cabin is different... well, of course it's different, get a grip, Abigail. I can see it's different... other than the whole, a boat floats and a cabin... doesn't kinda thing."

He couldn't help laughing as he held out his hands and stopped her forward progress, squeezing her shoulders. "Easy, Abbs... take a breath."

"I know, I know but this is just so cool and so exciting. Okay, what's first? The floor, the walls, the head or a water supply... what, Gibbs? And when do you do the windows and door? And what about the roof? Does that go on last as in really, really last or just before the door and windows? And can we have a fireplace?" She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. "Well, of course it'll have to have a fireplace coz we're not exactly gonna have anything else to heat the place, I guess. Speak, Gibbs! For heaven's sake, speak!"

She was vibrating with excitement and virtually bouncing on the spot under his hands, a wide grin on her face, her green eyes sparkling as her hands gestured.

"Slow down." He pulled her into a hug. "We'll go through everything later."

He pressed a kiss to her mouth, pleased but not surprised by her enthusiasm. He'd been looking forward to telling her of his plans for a while... wanted to share it with her, build this place with her as they built their relationship.

"Okay." She slipped her arms round his waist, smiling as she leaned into him. "Sooo, have you built a cabin before?"

"Nope." Gibbs shook his head. "Been doing a lot of reading up."

"Of course you have... Wait," Abby narrowed her eyes. "You've not been Googling unsupervised again, have you?"

Gibbs laughed. "There's such a thing as a book."

It was a big project and while he knew a lot already, there was still some stuff he'd needed to be sure about. He wanted to build this cabin to last.

"Sort of Cabin 101, get your woodworking tips here, kinda thing?" Abby said with a teasing smile.

"Somethin' like that. C'mon." He grabbed her hand and walked her round the small clearing as he explained and Abby listened eagerly. As always he was impressed by fast her quick mind absorbed information as she started throwing intelligent questions back at him.

It was partly why Gibbs knew he'd enjoy building this cabin _with _Abby. She made everything such fun and wanted to learn everything... even if it did exhaust him and make his head spin in the process.

When he'd explained the basics of what they had to do and when and how, Abby stood in the middle of the clearing, turning a full circle, a delighted smile on her face as she gazed about her as if she could conjure up how the cabin would look in her head.

"So, where's the nearest water supply... or maybe I should say, safe water supply."

Gibbs shook his head, coming over and slinging his arm round her shoulders. "Isn't one. We gotta do our own and that'll be the first thing we do this weekend."

"A well or...?"

"Nope. Gonna do a driven point instead. Should be able to get it done tomorrow... with help," Gibbs added.

"On it, Boss." She threw a clumsy salute, faltering when he shook his head. "Not my help?"

"Some things you can't do." He went on quickly when she deflated. "You're not strong enough, Abbs. Neither am I, just on my own."

"Okay, so who's gonna help?"

"That Marine buddy, I mentioned, Ben," Gibbs explained. "Gonna pay for his help when we need him."

"Cool... so is he coming up this weekend?" Abby slid an arm round his waist.

"Yup... should be here in the morning. C'mon." He turned them and headed for the path back to the truck. "Let's get something to eat and then I can show you the rest of it."

"How much more is there?" Abby asked, wide eyed.

Gibbs smiled. "A bit. Show you some of the woods, the lake... then tomorrow before Ben arrives, we can go fishing."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "I can see you're gonna be working _really_ hard and non-stop on this cabin, Gibbs."

Gibbs chuckled. "Hey... always time for fishing."

* * *

After they'd unloaded the truck with their supplies, they ate lunch in the shade of the clearing and then spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the woods and the paths round their side of the lake, walking the boundaries of the property.

After setting up camp in the centre of the clearing where the cabin would stand, they relaxed as they waited for the heat of the day to ease. Abby lay with her head in Gibbs' lap as he stroked her hair, and she listened to more stories of his time here with Mike and cherished everything he was sharing.

Later, after Gibbs had cooked dinner in the failing light and they cleaned up, Abby peered more closely at the plans and he grinned as she paced round the clearing, relating what she could see on the drawings to the space on the ground.

"Sooo... fireplace here, right?" She looked over at him as he lay propped on his side on the sleeping bag and waited for his nod, before pacing over to the far side. "Door here... window here... another one here... Bed here... you are gonna build a bed, right, I mean a bed big enough for both of us?" She shot him a mischievous smile.

Gibbs inclined his head. "Was thinking about it."

"Well, think harder."

"Yes, ma'am." He stretched out on his back, hands behind his head, smiling as he watched Abby make a circuit around him. When she'd finished, she turned to him and he held out his hand, laughing as she ran towards him, falling to her knees and launching herself on top of him.

Gibbs grunted as he took her weight, wrapping his arms round her back. Abby braced her hands either side of his head, gazing down at him and his heart squeezed as he saw the joy and happiness on her face.

"This is gonna be totally fantastic. I can't wait to get started." She felt she could drown in those blue eyes which were looking at her now with such love.

"So I see." Gibbs wrapped a hand round the back of her neck, pulling her in for a long tender kiss.

When it came to a natural end, she murmured against his mouth. "Thank you for sharing it."

"No one I'd rather share it with, Abbs."

Leaning down for another kiss, she settled against him as they exchanged teasing kisses, hands roaming slowly over and under clothes but neither in a hurry for once... just content to be close.

Breathless and flushed, she nuzzled against his face, kissing her way to his neck and snuggled closer. "So... no neighbours, right?"

Gibbs chuckled, knowing what she was getting at. "Not close ones, no."

She drew random patterns on his T-shirt covered chest. "So... if I wanted to take advantage of you right here right now, I could."

"Uh-huh... kinda hoping you will." His hand smoothed down her back to settle on the curve of her ass.

"Oh, me too... and as they said in _Alien_, no one would hear me scream." She nipped his neck and his hand tightened. "As long as we don't have to get in the tent... coz it's kinda hot tonight."

"Uh-huh."

Abby propped herself up, gazing down at him. "Although if I get bitten on the ass by a bug, I won't be too happy."

Gibbs smirked. "Can't blame the bugs, Abbs. If I were a bug, I'd wanna bite your ass."

Abby giggled and buried her head on his chest. "And you frequently do."

He pulled her on top of him, sliding both hands to her ass. "I'll see if I can keep it covered."

She glanced over her shoulder to see how his large hands almost covered her butt entirely... which was either a testament to how big his hands were or how small her ass still was. "You're such a trooper."

"Gotta make some sacrifices." He squeezed and pulled her closer.

She laughed and bent to take his mouth in a lingering kiss that left them both breathless and he flipped her over to press his hips against hers. The kisses quickly grew heated as the light faded until they could barely see one another in the moonlight.

But they could feel.

Hands removed clothing and mouths followed fingers in teasing touches until they were both trembling with need. Gibbs rolled onto his back, taking Abby with him and she straddled him, gazing down at his body spread out beneath her.

Every time she saw him like this, he took her breath away... in more ways than one.

Bracing her hands on his chest, she teased him, undulating gently over his erection, the swollen head brushing her wet folds. His hands tightened on her hips and his low growl of her name only added to the ache in her lower belly.

Unable to wait any longer, Abby grasped his full length, guiding him inside and they both watched as he disappeared inch by inch as she slowly sank down, stilling when he was fully buried, feeling his pulse throbbing inside her.

Gibbs gazed up at Abby poised above him, the moonlight playing over her pale skin, the dim light making her eyes shine, mesmerized by how beautiful she looked.

He slid his hands down to cup her ass, squeezing firmly and pulling her hips closer and Abby gasped at the increased friction just where she needed it.

She giggled and bent down to kiss him. "Glad to see you got my ass covered but what about covering the rest of me."

He grinned and nipped at her lower lip. "For that, we'd have to roll over."

"Mmm... and as much as I love you pinning me down, then we'd risk your ass getting bitten and the only thing gonna be biting your mighty fine ass is me." She squeezed her muscles around him and he groaned, bucking up into her and she clutched at his shoulders, giggling as she nearly lost her balance.

His hands urged her to move, steadying her as she sat up and began taking him, slowly at first and then faster and harder as she felt her release building. When his fingers slipped between her thighs, circling her clit and pressing firmly, she cried out and began grinding harder and faster and it wasn't long before she tipped over the edge.

Abby collapsed on top of Gibbs as her intense release ripped through her, feeling his arms come around her as she shuddered, concentrating on the sensations running through her.

Still achingly hard, Gibbs waited till she'd recovered slightly before flipping them over, making her almost purr his name. Grinning down at Abby, he pushed back inside, picking up the pace as chased his own release, groaning into her neck as he lost it.

When Gibbs became aware of his surroundings again, Abby was nuzzling against his face, holding his head against her as he recovered. He kissed a slow trail over her neck and up onto her face until he reached her mouth, breaths mingling as he barely brushed her lips.

"Forgot about the bugs, Abbs."

Abby giggled. "I just about forgot my own name, that felt so good. I'll just have to inspect you thoroughly for bug bites in the morning."

Gibbs snorted into her neck. "Oorah."

Abby groaned as he slipped out of her body and stretched out beside her. They let the night air wash over their skin as they cooled down. Gibbs reached for her hand, entwining their fingers and turned his head to watch Abby as she lay with her eyes closed, a smile curving her lips.

He thought back over the past few months; what they'd all gone through, how close a call it had been with the bombing and how far they'd come.

He had a future to look forward to, and it was lying right beside him.

* * *

Eventually climbing into the sleeping bag instead of sprawling on top of it, they managed to sleep most of the night, although Gibbs was awake early as usual. After breakfast and a perfunctory wash, Gibbs grabbed his fishing gear from the truck and led Abby through the trees to the lake.

As they emerged from the trees, Abby gasped as she saw the dock with a rowing boat tied up. "It's a boat."

Gibbs paused by her side, raising an eyebrow. "Good call, Abbs."

Abby punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Funny... what I mean is, I knew there'd be a boat somewhere. You never showed me this yesterday, you sneaky thing. Did you build this?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Sort of... it was an old wreck Mike had. Repaired it and we used it when we were here and just kept it here. Dock might need some work soon though."

Abby helped Gibbs load the gear into the boat and settled onto the seat in front of Gibbs as he rowed them out into the middle of the lake. She opened her parasol to shade her from the worst of the sun, twirling it as she watched the play of Gibbs' muscles under his T-shirt and his arms as he rowed, remembering how they felt under her hands and mouth.

When they were out far enough from shore, Gibbs fished while Abby relaxed.

"Oughta get you some gear, Abbs," Gibbs commented after a while.

"I'd like that... I used to fish when I was at college, with my Uncle Larry. Never bothered bringing any gear with me to D.C. though." She gave him a bright smile. "Be good to start again."

"We'll pick up some stuff next week then... there's a good store I know."

Abby trailed her hand in the water for a few minutes, absorbing her surroundings, feeling herself relax. "So... tell me more about Ben."

"We were in the Corps together," Gibbs explained. "He stayed in after I got out. Left about ten years ago when he got married and ended up setting up a small construction company in D.C. He's got two kids."

"So does he specialize in building cabins?" Her smile turned mischievous. "Sort of Cabins R Us?"

Gibbs chuckled "No... turns his hand to anything."

Abby gazed off into the distance for a moment and he could almost hear the wheels turning. "So, I'm guessing it's for stuff like the walls and roof you're gonna need an extra pair of hands... stronger than mine anyway."

Gibbs nodded. "Yup... no slight on you, Abbs... just a fact."

"I know... no offence taken. I can see how some stuff would be dangerous to do on your own anyway, especially anything above head height... like the chimney." She gave him a an almost shy glance. "So I'm kinda comforted if someone else'll be here and not just me."

Gibbs smirked. "Mother hen."

"Where you're concerned, yup. Someone's gotta look after you."

"Been doing that for a while now, on my own," he reminded her gently.

"I know but it doesn't mean I can't help now... I like thinking about you, looking after you, now I can." She glanced down at her lap, twisting her fingers together, knowing he didn't like being fussed over but since they'd gotten together, the urge to do just that was overwhelming sometimes.

His hand covered hers and he waited till she looked up. "Gonna take a while to get used to that... promise I'll try."

Abby smiled, relieved, squeezing his hands. "S'kay... I can be patient. Well, at least where you're concerned, I can be and I'll try not to fuss too much and you gotta tell me if I do." Abby's eyes slid over his shoulder to the shore and widened. "Erm, is Ben a big guy... like really, really big?"

Gibbs glanced over his shoulder to see a burly figure standing on the shoreline, and when he saw Gibbs turning round, he waved. Gibbs turned back, nodding, as he set down the fishing rod and picked up the oars. "Yup, that's Ben."

Abby stared at the figure, giving a low whistle as they got nearer. "Hubba hubba."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as he rowed. Most women reacted like that to Ben and he hadn't expected Abby to be any different.

"Down girl."

"Hey, just coz I'm spoken for doesn't mean I'm blind... I got eyes, and that looks like a really big... guy." She grinned widely. "I'm building a cabin with two hot men, is it my birthday?"

Gibbs snorted. "Not yet."

When they neared the shore, Abby got a better look at Ben and the view improved all the time. He was over six feet and _very_ well built, his arms solid muscle where they bulged out from beneath his short-sleeved T-shirt and his shoulders broad enough to make him look like a linebacker, without needing any padding.

His dark face split in a wide smile as the boat bumped into the dock and Gibbs threw him the line to tie up, and his deep voice matched the rest of him. "Mighta known you'd be fishing, Gunny, instead of working."

"Figured we'd do somethin' useful while waiting for you to finally show up," Gibbs shot back with a matching grin.

"And you, I hope, are Abby." He reached out a hand, his warm brown eyes twinkling as they met hers.

Abby laughed as she took his hand and let Ben help her ashore. "I am... were you expecting someone else?"

"Well, he's usually fighting 'em off with a stick so I thought I'd better check." Ben gave her a teasing grin, as he held onto her hand.

"Gee, thanks," Gibbs said dryly. "That's real helpful, Ben."

"Yeah... I've kinda noticed that over the years," Abby observed, exchanging a smile with Gibbs as he clambered onto the dock where he and Ben secured the boat.

Ben turned back to her with a smile. "Heard a lot about you, Abby. It's about time someone got him under control again." Ben grabbed the tackle box and ushered Abby ahead of him.

Abby giggled. "Well, I'm doing my best."

Ben grinned. "Doing a pretty good job by the sound of it."

"Sure is." Gibbs moved up beside her, squeezing her hand.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3: Building Foundations

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: part of this chapter was written for the Gabby Shipper Forum Hiatus, for the prompt 'water.' Nearly reached episode 2 of the season proper… it's just such fun in cabin land.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Building Foundations**

Gibbs followed Abby and Ben back towards his truck, amused as he listened to them. The pair were deep in conversation and from the sound of it, Abby was busy extracting Ben's entire life story in record time.

They helped Ben carry some of the gear they'd need for digging the driven point well into the clearing. By the time they were ready to make a start, Abby had stationed herself on a tree trunk in the shade to watch progress.

As they worked, Abby threw out a stream of questions about the well and the handpump they were installing, in between wandering over to inspect the work more closely and fetch tools or lend a hand when necessary.

As Gibbs expected, her intense curiosity and keen grasp of how they were digging the well was both infectious and exhausting. Gibbs could see by the twinkle in Ben's eyes and his wide smile that his friend was enjoying all the attention.

By late morning Abby had returned to her tree trunk, settling down in the shade and leaning against the tree behind. She grinned to herself as she watched the two men work. It was a hot enough day on its own but her temperature was rising as both men had discarded their shirts and were now, very satisfyingly, down to T-shirts giving her a very good view.

Eyes running over Gibbs' long back to his ass in those jeans as he bent over, she almost squirmed in her place, and when she raised her eyes back up, it was to meet amused blue eyes.

_Busted. _

"What?" Abby grinned. "Can't a girl just enjoy the view on this fine summer morning?"

"Think this qualifies as sexual harassment?" Gibbs glanced over at Ben with a smirk.

"Oh, a red light situation at the very least… thank heavens." Ben shot her a wide grin as Abby laughed.

Abby waved her hands. "I'm just studying your… technique, guys, and I gotta say it's a mighty fine technique from this angle."

"That's what they all say," Ben replied. "In fact, the last lady who said that to me, I ended up marrying her."

"Not this one you don't."

Ben threw a quick salute, smiling. "Noted, Gunny."

Abby laughed. "You guys gonna stop for lunch any time soon? It's getting too hot to work."

Ben sighed and stretched his back. "Not a bad idea, Abby. What d'ya reckon, Jethro? I think we've made a good start."

"Yeah… sounds good."

Abby collected their food and retrieved beer from the cooler while Ben went to get the food he'd brought with him from his truck. Gibbs eased himself down beside Abby, groaning slightly as he leaned forward, stretching his back and shoulders carefully.

Abby rested a hand on his lower back, rubbing gently. "You pulled a muscle?"

"Nah… Not yet anyway. Just a reminder I'm not as young as I used to be." He hung his head between his arms and arched his back, easing the kinks out of it.

"Back rub and hot bath when we get back might make you feel better?" Abby offered. "It'll certainly make me feel good."

Gibbs turned his head, grinning at her over his shoulder. "Knew there was a plus to doing this work ourselves."

Abby returned his smile, leaning in for a soft kiss which lingered as he turned to cup his hand behind her head.

"I can see I can't leave you two alone for five minutes," Ben commented as he emerged from the path. "You should get a room… oh wait, we're building you one."

Gibbs laughed and threw his cap at Ben, who fielded it with a grin before flopping down to the ground beside them.

Gibbs let Abby and Ben do most of the talking as they ate and he was pleased that these two people who meant so much to him were getting on so well, although Abby was usually friendly with everybody and Ben had such an easy going nature that he could pretty much get on with everyone, especially women.

But it wasn't often that friends from his time as a Marine and his marriage to Shannon overlapped into his current life. He had generally kept the two existences separate but it felt good to make the connection this time.

Ben downed the last of his sandwich before reaching for another beer. "How's Dr Mallard doing now he's back home?"

"You know Ducky?" Abby asked, surprised.

Ben shook his head. "Nope, never met him but Jethro's talked about him often enough, and I know about his heart attack after the bombing."

"He's doing okay. Glad to be home." Gibbs reached for another sandwich, offering one to Abby who shook her head.

"How long was he stuck in Florida?" asked Ben.

"He had to wait until he'd had the stents inserted and then be cleared to fly," explained Abby. "So I guess it was about three weeks after the… thing until he was allowed home."

Abby waved her hands and Gibbs noted another occasion when she couldn't bring herself to say the word 'bombing.' It was becoming a habit and he wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

Her nightmares were also not diminishing much and that did worry him as he wasn't sure what to do about it. He really needed to talk to Ducky but was reluctant to add to his friend's stress now he was back. And if he tackled Abby directly about it, she'd probably try and make out she was fine.

Abby was as skilled as he was at avoiding conversations she didn't want to have.

"So how long before he can come back to work?" asked Ben.

"It'll be a while yet… it's not just about recovering from the heart attack, he's got to be passed fit to work again." Gibbs elaborated. "Have a feeling it's not gonna be soon enough for Ducky."

"You telling me you'd be any less impatient, Gunny?" Ben commented with a smile and Gibbs smirked, tilting his head in rueful acknowledgement.

"It's _soooo_ good to have Ducky back home though. Even if," Abby shot Gibbs a sheepish smile, "I did get a bit carried away at first, but I've been so worried about him. I tried not to fuss, really I did but I don't think I succeeded though. I guess I'm not cut out to be Nurse Abby."

Gibbs rested a hand on her arm. "You know he appreciates it, Abbs. He just doesn't like fuss. He's no better than me as a patient… or you."

He'd had to intervene to tone down the efforts Abby was making in trying to look after Ducky. The M.E. had been fairly patient with her but Gibbs could see what a strain it was this time and how much Ducky just wanted to rest, and coping with Abby in full tornado mode had been just too much.

"I know. I just had to _do _something, y'know? It would've been different if it had happened here but he was just so far away."

"And what you did is fine, Abbs. We just need to let him go at his own pace."

But with everyone in the team taking it in turns to visit and do practical things for Ducky, that had helped him settle back in again, without feeling like he'd lost all his independence. It also soothed Abby that she was at least _doing _something.

"It's hard though when someone you care about is ill," Ben put in sympathetically. "You feel so helpless and not sure what to do for the best."

"Exactly." Abby glanced at Gibbs. "And you know Ducky won't ask for help."

"We'll keep an eye on him, Abbs." Gibbs picked up her hand and laced their fingers together and Abby smiled, squeezing back.

Ben smothered a grin as he watched them. "Wait… Nurse Abby. Did that involve a uniform at all?"

Abby giggled and punched Ben on the shoulder, who grabbed his arm and flopped back on the grass, rolling in pretend pain.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Smart ass. C'mon… back to work."

It took most of the rest of the afternoon for the men to finish digging the driven point well and setting up the handpump. When they were satisfied with progress, they helped Ben pack up his truck so the big guy could head back home.

He gave a wide smile as Abby hugged him goodbye, extracting a promise that Gibbs would bring her to meet his wife and kids real soon and arranging for the next time he'd come here to help with the next stage of the cabin.

After waving goodbye to Ben, Abby followed Gibbs back towards the lake so they could take a last walk before driving back. They walked in contented silence for a while, Abby holding his hand and throwing him occasional glances, soaking up how relaxed he looked.

Abby eventually broke the quiet. "It's gonna be such fun, y'know, doing all this with you."

"And Ben," Gibbs teased.

"_Hell yeah_… especially Ben," Abby grinned before dissolving into laughter and leaning into Gibbs for a hug.

As they walked, Gibbs noticed Abby occasionally reaching down to scratch her leg through her pants. When she noticed him noticing, she rolled her eyes. "I got bitten, okay, by one of those bugs you were supposed to be protecting me from last night."

Gibbs smirked. "Well, I was a bit distracted." He grabbed her hand as she tried again. "Stop scratching, you'll make it worse. I'll put some cream on it in a minute."

She shot him a sly smile. "I missed an opportunity earlier… I could have asked Ben."

Abby burst out laughing at his expression and when Gibbs moved to grab her, she squealed and took off and he chased her through the trees until they reached the lakeside.

She turned at the water's edge, holding up her hands to fend him off, laughing. "Now you wouldn't want me to get the truck all wet, would you? No, Gibbs… _nooooo_."

He stalked towards her but instead of throwing her into the water, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. She hummed her appreciation against his mouth and kissed him back eagerly, her arms wrapping round his back.

When Gibbs raised his head, he took in her flushed face, sparkling eyes and slow smile, not sure he'd ever seen her look happier… and he still couldn't get used to the fact that he could make her look like that.

Gibbs turned Abby to face the water and rested his chin on her shoulder as his arms wrapped round her waist. He didn't want to be late back tonight as they had work tomorrow and he was tired, but it was so peaceful here, he was reluctant to leave… his mind supplying him with how it might be in the future when the cabin was built and they could enjoy time here, just the two of them.

"Wish we could stay a bit longer." Abby unconsciously echoed his thoughts. "I love it already after only a day… and we've christened it already too."

Gibbs squeezed her, chuckling into her neck. "Had planned to. We'll get back as often as we can, Abbs. Maybe take some time off this summer… we've got enough leave saved up."

"Yeah, I guess we have, even if we do have to be creative as to why we want the same time off."

Gibbs nuzzled into her neck. "We'll think of something. And Ben can do some stuff without us."

"I can imagine. He seems very, erm… capable. In fact, hang on while I just imagine that some more." She squirmed, laughing as he tickled her, grabbing his hands to still his fingers. She glanced over her shoulder. "Have Leyla and Amira been here. Did Mike bring them to see this place?"

Gibbs shook his head. "He never managed to, but they've come up with me a couple of times. Amira likes the boat."

"Now that I can imagine." Abby looked over her shoulder again and Gibbs nodded, smiling at her unspoken question. "Yeah… we can make a day of it with them too. Leyla loves it here too."

Mike's girls now felt so much a part of his family and he was determined to make them a part of his life with Abby.

"That'll be so cool." Abby turned and hugged him.

He brushed her bangs off her forehead. "Spoke to Jack in the week. Told him about us."

Abby's eyes widened. "You did? Oh boy…"

"Hey, he was fine," Gibbs tried to reassure Abby, seeing the sudden concern in her green eyes. "Honestly. He sounded really pleased."

Abby gnawed her lip. "I so want him to be okay about us." She wasn't the obvious partner for his son and while she got on really well with Jackson, it was a different kettle of fish being his son's lover as opposed to just his friend.

"He is okay, Abbs. You can speak to him yourself next week."

He'd been determined to tell his dad and if Jackson had a problem with it, he could tackle it head on. But his dad hadn't… although Jack had sounded concerned about the age gap. But Gibbs had made it clear that this was it for him and that Jackson could either accept the situation or not. As far as Gibbs was concerned, it wasn't going to change anything.

* * *

By the end of the summer, progress on the cabin had been steady, with Ben's help. The workload at NCIS had been busy so they hadn't managed to take as much time off as they'd wanted but had managed the odd long weekend, and seeing the cabin take shape through their own efforts had, if anything, drawn them even closer together.

So by the time late September arrived, work on the cabin was right on schedule, with Gibbs wanting to see the bulk of the foundations and structure mostly finished before the worst of the winter set in.

One niggling problem remained in their lives though.

Abby's nightmares…

… and Gibbs had become increasingly concerned that they still invaded their lives and they'd developed into a pattern which neither of them liked.

When Abby stayed the night at Gibbs' house, which she did often, she seemed to be able to hold them at bay… or, as Abby put it, his presence seemed to help prevent them happening too often.

When she slept at her apartment or pulled an all-nighter in her lab, then she inevitably seemed to wake from a nightmare in the early hours.

Gibbs had made her promise to call him when that happened, whatever the hour might be, and Abby had reluctantly agreed. She'd tried to protest that there was no reason why both of them should lose sleep but Gibbs had insisted… although there were times when the phone rang in the middle of the night that he became as frustrated as she was by the recurrence of her nightmares and autopsy phobia.

They couldn't go on like this but Gibbs was at a loss how to help, although after talking with Ducky at length one evening recently, he was beginning to get a glimmer of an idea.

His conversation with Ducky had also ended up revealing his relationship with Abby, the perceptive M.E. reading Gibbs' concern as more than just that of a friend and soon realizing the implications behind when and _where_ Abby would wake from her nightmares, and where she happened to be when she did sleep through the night.

* * *

Abby grinned to herself as she emerged into the clearing, looking over the mostly completed frame of the cabin in front of her. Ben and Gibbs had been working here all day and she could see some of the changes they'd made since last weekend.

She'd been helping at an event at the church all day and had driven here straight away, keen to at least spend what remained of the weekend with Gibbs, here at this place that had become so special to her.

Or she would when she could find the man himself.

A cursory glance told her he wasn't here by the cabin, although his gear was. It was still hot, even this far into the evening, and she had a fair idea where he'd have gone after a day's hard labour in the sun.

The large figure of Ben emerging from the treeline was a welcome sight and she rushed towards him for a hug. His hair was wet and a damp towel was draped round his shoulders.

"Hey, Abby. Just in time. We've about finished for the day and I'm heading home. I'm beat."

She held him at arm's length. "You do look tired, big guy. Hope you two have not been overdoing it or Mary will never forgive me."

Ben grinned. "Nah… it's been a good day. Just had a quick wash in the lake to try and wake myself up for the drive." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Jethro's still down there… be gentle with the old man."

Abby giggled, pushing Ben on his way. "Say hi to the kids for me."

"Just hi's not gonna cut it, you know that. They're gonna want to know when you'll be coming by again."

On days when Ben helped with the cabin, his wife and two kids sometimes came along and she and Gibbs had also been to dinner at their house. Abby had quickly won over their two young boys and she loved seeing Gibbs with the kids… a glimpse of the father he'd been.

"Tell 'em soon, I hope. You know how it goes with work and… stuff."

"Yeah, I know, Abby." Ben bent down to kiss her cheek. "See ya soon, honey. You're looking pretty tired yourself."

Abby waited till Ben had disappeared down the path before hurrying towards the lake. She came out of the treeline by the shore to be greeted with a back view of Gibbs perched on a tree stump, sitting in the shade and sipping a beer, looking relaxed.

The shorts he was wearing were baggy but they still showed off a satisfying amount of leg and his T-shirt left his forearms bare. As she watched, he raised the bottle to his lips, his head going back to expose the strong line of his neck and she could see his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

How could such a simple action look so darned hot?

Shaking herself out of her leering appraisal, Abby started forward, trying to move quietly as she closed the distance between them.

His back was to her so she had more of a chance to successfully sneak...

"Hey, Abbs."

Or perhaps not.

"You knew I was there all the time, didn't you?"

He looked over his shoulder, grinning. "Heard you talking to Ben… and crashing through the trees."

"Hey... I don't crash. I move stealthily like a shadow... a phantom... a wraith, if not like a Marine sniper." She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah... right," he grinned unrepentantly and got to his feet, taking another swig of beer, his eyes running over her as she started walking towards him.

He waited till she'd almost reached him and was about to launch herself before he spoke. "I'm filthy, Abbs... you might wanna wait till I've sluiced off."

"Oh... okay."

Closer to, she could see he had a point. His face and hair were coated in sawdust and smudged with dirt, and his sweat-soaked T-shirt caked in a mixture of dust, dirt and wood shavings... about the cleanest thing on him were his shorts and that wasn't saying much.

Abby grinned as a thought struck her and she laced her fingers behind her back, leaning forward, pursing her lips and half closing her eyes. "Pucker up, Gibbs... I'm at least claiming a hello kiss before throwing you in the water."

Gibbs smirked. "Works for me."

He bent to place the bottle on the ground before standing to his full height. As he leaned forward, Gibbs kept his hands at his side, nudging her nose in an Eskimo kiss when his head bent to hers before gliding his lips to her ear.

Abby giggled, a slight gasp escaping her as he nuzzled his way back across her cheek to reach her lips, brushing them lightly. She angled her head to press her lips more firmly against his, licking along his bottom lip and was rewarded with a low growl as he sealed his mouth over hers.

As Gibbs drew out the kiss, deepening it, Abby moaned as her entire body seemed to react to _not_ being in contact with his.

Her heart raced as she tried to control the sensations rushing through her and she gripped her hands tightly together behind her back. It was unusual for her _not_ to be wrapped around him during a kiss, but she'd started this so she wasn't about to give in first.

But it was a close run thing. She could feel her pulse beating in time between her legs as the kiss went on, becoming more heated, and she wondered fleetingly how she could be so turned on by just a kiss.

When it came to an end and she pulled back, his name coming out as a strangled whisper as she opened her eyes. His own blue eyes were darkened, his breathing as ragged, revealing how much he'd been affected as well.

Without saying a word, Gibbs stepped back and Abby's eyes widened as he reached back to pull off his T-shirt, and he gave her a cocky grin before turning to walk into the water before she could react.

Still tingling from the kiss, Abby was rooted to the spot as she watched him wade out into the lake, the sunlight glinting off his silver hair. Her eyes roamed over the spread of his shoulders, the strong arms and long line of that back to where it disappeared under the low waistband of his shorts.

When the water was deep enough, Gibbs ducked fully under the water and when he stood up again, shaking his head, water spraying everywhere and Abby almost groaned aloud at the sight. She watched as he splashed water over his chest and arms, sluicing off the worst of day's dirt and sweat, before dunking his T-shirt.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his tousled silver hair, all spiky wet with a few loose strands falling over his forehead. As he rinsed out his T-shirt, she could see water droplets glistening on his neck before trailing down onto his chest, sparkling on the rough silver hair.

She watched the play of muscles moving under his skin as he slung the T-shirt over a nearby overhanging branch, before turning to sink into the water again, drifting on his back for a few yards, grinning at her where she still stood on the shoreline.

_C'mon, legs... move. There's a wet Marine out there._

Abby finally shook herself out of her daze and glanced down at what pants and boots she was wearing. Deciding it was going to take far too long to get out of any of it, Abby shrugged mentally before stepping offshore, gasping at the welcome coolness of the water as she waded in.

Gibbs heard her splashing behind him and stood, turning to greet her with a lop-sided grin. When she was near enough, Abby leaped at him, made clumsy by the water and he laughed as he tried to catch her, her sudden weight making him lose his footing so they both went under.

Surfacing amidst a spray of water, laughing breathlessly, Abby wound her arms round his shoulders, leaning in to nuzzle his neck, inhaling deeply.

"You're all wet," she murmured, her lips beginning to nibble along the damp skin of his throat."

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4: Family Connections

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: have finally reached episode 2 of season 10 after the diversion into cabin land. Spoilers for _Recovery_.

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Family Connections**

Gibbs relaxed back onto the couch, content to let brother and sister talk, which they were currently doing non-stop. He suppressed a smile as he imagined they'd probably been doing nothing else since this afternoon.

He'd asked Kyle a little about his own family and history but knew it would take a while to catch up with everything, without making it sound like an interrogation.

Gibbs rested his hands on Abby's legs where they were stretched across his lap, glancing between the two of them, taken aback again by how much they looked alike.

If he'd passed Kyle in the street, he might not have noticed it but here in the same room as Abby, the dark hair, shape of the face, the green eyes and slender build were startlingly alike… as were some of the mannerisms.

He might have known any biological brother of Abby's would greet him with a hug and not a handshake. Kyle also had that instant likeability vibe that Abby exuded and Gibbs liked what he'd seen so far.

Gibbs glanced at Abby's face, seeing the glow of happiness but also the lingering dark smudges under her eyes from lack of sleep. He was under no illusion that she would instantly get over her nightmares, or her autopsy phobia because of reconnecting with her brother, but if this was the start of a slow recovery, then he'd take whatever he could get right now.

God knows, they could both do with a good night's sleep.

He was feeling more than a little ragged around the edges himself.

In a lull in the conversation, he saw Abby trying to stifle a yawn. Gibbs patted her leg as Kyle chuckled. "C'mon… you should rest, Abbs. It's been a tiring week."

"I better go too," Kyle announcing, standing up and smiling down at them both. "It's a busy day tomorrow."

"I'll take you back home," Abby said, struggling to swing her legs off the couch.

Gibbs held up his hand. "No need. I'll run Kyle back."

"I can take a cab… it's no problem, rather than have you bother, Gibbs," Kyle offered, looking between the two of them.

Gibbs shook his head, standing up and helping Abby to her feet. "Won't take long. You go up and get some rest, Abbs."

Abby slid her arm round his waist, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Well, if you're sure… Thanks, I won't say no." She kissed his cheek before rushing over to Kyle and wrapping him in a hug, which he returned enthusiastically and Gibbs grinned at the hug tornado in his living room.

When Abby pulled back, she rested her hands on Kyle's shoulders, almost bouncing on her toes. "I've got so much I wanna do and say, I don't know where to start."

Kyle grinned. "I feel the same… I'll probably wake up in the middle of the night thinking of something I should have told you."

"Well… if you do, try not to ring just then… I've been waking both of us up in the middle of the night enough already." Abby shot a rueful glance towards Gibbs.

"I'll try and remember that." Kyle replied. He glanced over at Gibbs. "Perhaps we can all get together again… when you're both less tired. Come and see the store."

"Sounds good." Gibbs grabbed his jacket from the hallway.

"And you could come over here for dinner… and also come see my apartment? And I told you about Carol, she'd love to meet you too," Abby suggested.

Kyle waved his arms, a wide smile on his face. "Anything and _every_thing, Abby. You name it and I'll be there. We've got more than thirty years to catch up on… which is a very scary thought and a very good one too."

"Totally. We could probably talk for days." Abby felt like she wanted to hold onto every second with her new brother.

"Like you need any encouragement to do that?" Gibbs teased as he pressed a kiss to her hair. "Go… bed."

Abby rolled her eyes, grinning at Kyle. "He's a mother hen. I think they teach it in the Marines."

"So I see." Kyle shared a smile with Gibbs before pulling his sister into another hug. "Call me."

"You got it."

Gibbs suppressed a smile as the two of them continued to stand there so obviously reluctant to part. If he didn't drag Kyle out of here soon, they'd probably still be saying goodbye for the next couple of hours right in his hallway.

* * *

Kyle settled into his seat, leaning back with a tired sigh as Gibbs pulled his truck into the traffic. Gibbs glanced over at him. "Lot to take in, huh?"

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, it is. It's not every day you find out you've gained a big sister."

"Not just a sister," Gibbs reminded him. "Abby's close to the team at work. They're like a second family to her."

"Yeah, she told me a bit about everyone, but it's going to take me a while to remember them all and get them all straight in my head, although meeting them will help I'm sure. I'm glad she has that… She told me her mom and dad… her adoptive parents," Kyle corrected himself, "are dead and her other brother, Luca is down south still with his wife and daughter. Hey… I've got a niece," Kyle finished, as if the thought had only just occurred to him.

Gibbs shot him an amused look but he could understand the kid being a bit overwhelmed. "Yeah… they're close but she doesn't get back there that often."

Kyle hesitated before going on. "Abby said she hasn't coped with the news of being adopted that well."

"No, she hasn't," admitted Gibbs.

Abby hadn't talked much about it over the past year even to him. Even after they became a couple, it was a subject she found difficult and he hadn't pushed much.

Abby was like him in that way. If you pushed, she could close down. Maybe now she'd find it easier to deal with the issues left behind by being adopted.

"I guess I've been lucky then," Kyle went on. "I knew a while back that I was adopted. My adoptive parents told me long before they died, so I had time to ask questions and accept it more. It must have been a hell of a shock, finding out the way Abby did."

"It was… You ever tracked down your birth parents?" asked Gibbs, curious.

"No, I haven't… After my adoptive parents died, I was tempted to try for a while," Kyle shrugged, "but in the end, figured it was just a fact of blood. My parents are the people who raised me… and that's not gonna change."

"Abby's still struggling with that."

"Yeah, I got that impression. I'll try and help with that if I can, as I've been there already."

"Be good if you could."

"Do you think she'd want to try and find out about our real parents?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Not sure. She hasn't said she wants to but meeting you might change that."

"That's true," Kyle agreed. "I'll talk to her about it if she wants."

"Thanks."

"I'm glad she has you taking care of her. She didn't stop talking about you all afternoon." Kyle smiled.

Gibbs tilted his head, smiling slightly but didn't reply.

"And it sounds like I owe you thanks for encouraging Abby to come and see me again. Ever since she turned up at the store last year, I had a feeling we had a connection but I didn't know who she was or even how to go about finding her. It was so frustrating," Kyle admitted.

Gibbs shot him a sympathetic glance. "Can imagine that. Glad it all worked out."

"And just think… when I saw the bombing at the Navy Yard, I didn't even realize how close I came to losing a sister I didn't even know I had. We've got a lot of making up for lost time to do."

"It was a close call," Gibbs agreed, figuring that was an understatement.

"Gibbs," Kyle began hesitantly. "She mentioned her nightmares and how they've affected you both these past months, but she changed the subject so quickly that I didn't get a chance to talk to her about them properly. Are they… are they to do with the bombing?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah… ever since then, on and off."

"Is she getting help for them?"

"Working on it." Gibbs glanced over at Kyle, approving of the hint of challenge he could see in the kid's gaze, that he was trying to make sure this sister he'd just met was being cared for. "Hopefully, having you back in her life will help."

* * *

Gibbs closed and locked the front door behind him, throwing his keys on the table and stripping off his jacket. He stretched the kinks out of his neck and back, feeling his own tiredness roll in. The light was off in the living room so he hoped that Abby had gone to bed, even if she hadn't managed to get to sleep yet.

When he entered his bedroom, Abby was emerging from the ensuite in a cloud of steam, wrapped only in a towel. She smiled when she saw him. "Hey…"

"Hoped you'd be asleep."

"Wanted to wait for you so I had a soak in the bath… it's relaxing." Abby walked over to him and wrapped her arms round him tightly. "Thank you for pushing me. I'm not sure I'd have done this without you."

Gibbs slid his arms round her back and bent his head to kiss her neck. "You woulda done, Abbs, in time."

"Maybe," she mumbled, kissing him softly. "But you always give me confidence just when I need it."

"It's what I'm here for. C'mon… we both need sleep."

He turned her round and nudged her towards the bed. By the time he'd brushed his teeth and stripped down to his boxers, Abby was buried under the covers, sleepily regarding him as he approached.

She moved into his arms as soon as he slipped into bed after flipping off the light. She snuggled into his chest, sighing as she relaxed against him.

Gibbs slowly stroked his fingers through her hair, listening to her breathing evening out, feeling himself relaxing as her warmth surrounded him. But clearly her brain was still busy as he felt her murmur against his skin.

"Kyle's great, isn't he?"

"Yeah… nice kid. I like him. You've got lots of catching up to do."

"My head's spinning with it all."

Gibbs chuckled and dropped a kiss onto her hair. "Plenty of time, Abbs. You don't have to do it all at once."

He felt her nod against his chest. "I know. It's just so.. awesome. I must call Luca, he deserves to know I've made contact."

"You tell him you tried last year?"

"No… no, I didn't. It wasn't my best moment," she admitted softly. She was quiet for a while before going on. "Thank you for being so welcoming when we just charged in tonight."

"Wanted to help, Abbs." He hesitated briefly. "Wanted to try and make sure you don't feel alone."

Gibbs felt Abby stiffen slightly and she raised her head to stare at him. "I'm sorry I said that… I hurt you, didn't I?"

Abby could just about see his face in the dim light seeping through from the street and saw how his eyes slid away. She could have kicked herself when she'd said earlier about how the nightmares made her feel alone, as if she had no one, when the most important someone in her life was right here.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Jethro."

It was typical of him that he'd put her first, despite how much it must have hurt him but instead of brooding about it, he'd tried to help her. She really didn't deserve the way he looked after her.

Gibbs brushed her hair off her forehead. "You were being honest, Abbs. Would rather you were…" He stared at her for a moment and she waited him out, sensing his struggle to express what he wanted to say. "Will try to be what you need."

It had worried him ever since she'd admitted she felt alone, afraid that he wouldn't be enough for her… that what they had wasn't what she wanted or that she somehow doubted his commitment to them as a couple and how important she was to him.

"You are what I need." Abby struggled upright so she was sitting up in bed, her arms wrapped round her knees. "You're everything I need… everything I've ever wanted and I'm so sorry if I made it sound like you weren't."

Gibbs lay still, just resting a hand on her back as he waited for her to go on, recognizing the signs of an Abby sorting out her thoughts.

Eventually after a few minutes, she glanced back over her shoulder, speaking softly. "Saying I felt alone wasn't to do with you… that referred to a particular nightmare."

"The autopsy one."

Abby shook her head. "No… well, sometimes that one but no… that's not the worst one. I mean, it's bad enough but there's one that is _way_ worse than that."

From her description, the autopsy nightmare was bad enough so he was concerned that there was something else she was going through that she felt was worse than that.

"Go on," he coaxed gently.

Abby took a deep breath. "I wake up after the…" she waved her hands.

"Bombing," Gibbs supplied automatically.

There was no point trying to get her to say the word. If he pushed and tried to get her to say it, he'd learned a while back that her stubbornness would kick in anyway and she would just refuse to even try.

"Yeah, after that, and you're there. I mean we're both there in the lab and you're on top of me and… and I can't move you, Jethro. You're just lying there and that's because you're dead... literally dead weight." Abby broke off, her voice failing her, the horror of her nightmare flooding in and taking her breath.

"Hey…" Gibbs rubbed a hand up her spine soothingly. "I'm here. I'm fine. We're fine."

"I know…" She clutched at the covers over her legs, her voice faint. "But that's the one… that's the one that makes me feel so alone. As if I have no one coz I've lost you… and if I've lost you, then there's no point to anything anymore."

Gibbs tugged on her arm until she turned into him again, sliding down the bed and moving back into his arms, wrapping her own around his back to hold him tightly, her legs tangling with his.

"I hate that nightmare," she murmured into his neck, trying to get as close as possible to his solid warmth and strength, breathing him in, reassuring herself that he was here and alive and warm and strong and… _hers_.

Gibbs wasn't sure what to say.

He knew she wouldn't want platitudes, or empty reassurances about the nightmares going away. He still had them about his girls all these years later so he knew it wasn't that simple.

He cradled her head, burying his nose in her hair. "Not going anywhere if I can help it, Abbs."

"Make sure you don't, you hear me." Abby squeezed him hard.

"Yes, ma'am."

They lay quietly for a while and he felt Abby gradually relax into him again and he let himself start to drift off to sleep. Before he did, he heard a sleepy mumble.

"Although if you and Leon ever set me up with a shrink again, I will sabotage your coffee machine and set fire to his toothpicks."

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5: Final Building Blocks

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: partly written for the Gabby Shipper Forum Hiatus prompt – cabin. Huge thanks to Gibbsredhoodie for bunnies and the title, and to With the Grain for being a cabin technical consultant! Spoilers for episode 3, season 10 – _Phoenix._

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**Chapter 5 – Final Building Blocks**

"Aw, rats, am I too late?!"

Abby emerged from the trees in a rush, to see Gibbs sitting on one of the huge tree stumps which now served as steps leading up to the front of the cabin. Dressed in jeans and one of his black USMC sweatshirts, he looked tired but relaxed as he leaned back against the door, sipping beer.

Gibbs paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth and greeted her with a smile, and as it always did, something inside her eased at the sight and sound of him. "Hey, Abbs."

"No, you're not too late, sweetheart. We've saved you the last bit... after we've done most of the hard work."

"Well, I'm glad you two have been keeping out of mischief... mostly." Abby grinned as the owner of the deep voice appeared round the side of the cabin.

Ben wore a beaming smile on his dark face, his warm brown eyes twinkling. Ben was about the only man Abby knew who could make Gibbs look small, and herself feel positively tiny and she'd grown very fond of the gentle giant these past few months.

Abby dropped her bag at her feet and ran over to launch herself at Ben, and the big guy laughed as he swung her off the ground in a bear hug. "Hey gorgeous."

"Hey yourself, handsome." Abby giggled as he put her down, resting her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him.

"We missed you today. I've had to look at his ugly mug all day." Ben gestured with his thumb over his shoulder, grinning.

Gibbs snorted. "Likewise."

"Now boys, no fighting." Abby grinned as she looked between the two men. "I so wanted to get here earlier but the whole thing took longer than it should've coz the Major threw a _major_ temper tantrum. And I was scared I was gonna be too late and you'd have finished... and more to the point, that _you'd_ have gone." Abby looped her arm through Ben's, bouncing on her toes.

Even though it was a weekend, Abby had spent a good chunk of it working on an urgent case for Balboa's team and had finally gotten away Sunday lunchtime and driven straight out here to the cabin.

She and Gibbs had originally planned to take the whole weekend and Monday off and, with Ben's help, finish off the outside of the cabin, namely topping off the chimney, before starting work on the inside.

It was kind of a symbolic moment in her eyes and why she wanted to be here so badly.

Although it was getting harder and harder to come up with excuses why she and Gibbs wanted the same day off every so often, without giving away their relationship. Although they'd both agreed to keep quiet about being together, Abby was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with all the sneaking around.

Ben shook his head. "Nah... wasn't gonna leave before seeing my second favourite girl."

"Glad to hear it." Abby squeezed his arm.

A dry voice interrupted them. "Any chance of getting my girl back... when you two've finished."

Ben grinned over at Gibbs where he was sipping his beer, a familiar smirk on his face. "Dunno... might need a bit more time yet, Gunny. She's the prettiest thing I've set eyes on all day and I gotta make the most of it."

Gibbs rolled his eyes as Abby giggled and grinned up at Ben. "C'mon on then, show me what you've done, without me here supervising."

Gibbs levered himself upright, grinning to himself as he followed Ben and Abby round to the back of the cabin, which was swathed in scaffolding. When he caught up with them, Ben was gesturing at the chimney, almost complete bar the last few bricks at the very top, and Abby was standing next to him, shading her eyes as she stared upward.

As Gibbs drew level, he slid an arm round her waist and Abby turned to press a soft kiss to his mouth. "Hey there, Marine. Missed you."

He hugged her close to his side, pressing his nose into her hair, murmuring, "Missed you too."

"Hey you two... will you quit fooling around and pay attention. This is serious stuff." Ben grinned as Abby poked her tongue out at him.

"Okay... speak." Abby leaned into Gibbs and listened attentively as Ben explained the work they'd done, and she could see for the first time the whole sweep of the chimney climbing the back wall of the cabin, as she'd imagined it so many times.

"It looks awesome." Abby beamed. "And you left me the top to finish off? That's so sweet."

Ben nodded. "We did... it's all yours."

"Knew you'd wanna do some of it." Gibbs put in.

Abby met Gibbs' gaze, feeling her throat tighten at the affectionate understanding she could read there.

Last week she'd tried to articulate what this meant to her, but felt she hadn't done a very good job of it. But Gibbs seemed to get it... to understand why it was so important to her. But then he always did _get_ her and he nearly always humored her anyway.

"Okay if I stay?" Ben asked. "I wanna see this bit, seeing as we've all worked so hard on her this summer. And it's sort of the last bit you need me for anyway, unless there's anything else."

Gibbs nodded. "Might be."

"I'm hoping there will be too. It's gone by so fast and I'll miss you not coming out here." Abby grinned at Ben as she headed for the ladder. "And I don't want you to miss this."

With Ben steadying the ladder, Gibbs followed Abby up onto the scaffolding platform, and together they started cementing in the final bricks on the chimney stack. She was never too happy working at heights but the excitement of this big step of finishing off the outside held her nerves at bay, as did Gibbs' solid presence at her side.

They'd worked as hard on their new relationship over the past few months as they had on the cabin. As time passed and they became closer, it seemed to reflect the progress they made on the building; each step as important as the next and the one that came before it.

The whole place in her mind seemed to represent a lot more than just wood and nails and this weekend felt like putting the final building blocks in place of more than just the cabin.

Gibbs let her put the final brick in place and when she'd finished, Abby stood back, gazing down at it before raising her head to look out over the rest of the roof and the view beyond, where she could see a glimpse of the lake through the trees.

Gibbs could see Abby biting her lip and he smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing as he sensed her emotions getting the better of her. "Our cabin, Abbs... Now we can start on the inside."

Tear filled green eyes turned to him and a bright smile broke out on her face as she grabbed him, hugging him hard to the sound of Ben whistling below. She laughed as she let Gibbs go, peering down at Ben below. "Don't you move an inch, Benjamin. I think this calls for another hug."

Ben spread his arms wide. "Why d'ya think I'm still standing here? Get down here, woman."

Abby sketched a sloppy salute and clambered carefully down the ladder, followed by Gibbs, only to be enveloped in another bear hug when she reached solid ground. When Ben put her down again, he pounded a grinning Gibbs on the back.

Ben looked over the exterior of the cabin, nodding as if satisfied. "That's that then... God bless all who sail in her, and I expect you to take good care of her."

Abby nodded. "Of course, the very best."

"Well, it's about time I got back or Mary'll have my ass."

Abby laughed. "Mary's very lucky to have your ass."

Ben waggled his eyebrows at her as he packed up his tools. They walked with him back to his truck, parked next to Gibbs' and with Abby's hearse squeezed in at the side.

Gibbs waited till Ben had secured his tools in the back of his truck. "Appreciate the help, Ben."

"Anytime, Gunny. You know that. I'll send you a bill next week... or Mary will, she's the organized one in the office." The two men hugged each other and then Ben turned to Abby and she got another hug.

Abby kissed his cheek. "I shall miss you, Ben... It's been such fun. But you and Mary and the kids will come to dinner again, won't you? That is..."

Realizing she'd just issued an invitation to dinner to a house that wasn't hers, Abby bit her lip and glanced nervously at Gibbs, who grinned and moved nearer to sling an arm round her shoulders, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Make it soon. Be good to see that wife of yours and those kids again. It seems longer than last month."

They'd been Ben's house several times and Abby had taken instantly to Mary and his two kids. They'd all made it out here on a few occasions as well for picnics and fishing while the two men worked on the cabin..

"She says the same about you, Gunny... in fact, she usually barely even looks at me when you're around." Ben nudged Abby. "So you and I will have to amuse ourselves, Abby."

"Fine by me."

Ben climbed into his truck and drove off, Abby waving until he was out of sight.

They walked slowly back to the cabin along the path, Gibbs' arm round her shoulders and hers snug round his waist. Abby sighed as she felt the tiredness of the day beginning to drain away from her and a sense of calm seeping in.

As much as she enjoyed Ben's company, it was good to get back to just the two of them and it was partly why she loved this place so much.

It was so peaceful and they could just... be.

Gibbs could feel the tense muscles of her shoulders under his arm and moved his hand to rub her back and shoulders gently as they walked. Long hours hunched over her equipment in the lab always flared up as stiffness in her neck and shoulders. Add in the drive and he could feel the knotted results under his touch.

As they emerged into the clearing, stopping as they looked at the cabin, he slid his arms round her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You hungry or you wanna back rub first?"

Abby moaned softly and leaned back against him. "I am hungry but you've no idea how good a back rub sounds... although with all your hard work today, I should be giving you one."

"You can... later." He pressed a kiss to her neck. "C'mon, your shoulders are like iron." Gibbs dropped onto his original perch in front of the door, grabbed their sleeping bag and placed it on the stump in front of him, encouraging Abby to sit.

Abby watched him with a smile.

Gibbs was always taking care of her like this and she loved it.

She sat in front of him, pulling off her jumper and shivering slightly in the cool autumn air, sighing as she felt his strong hands on her shoulders.

Abby dropped her head forward, humming her appreciation, as he began gently but firmly massaging her back and shoulders through the thin material of her T-shirt.

"God... that feels _sooo_ good."

Gibbs chuckled, dropping a quick kiss on the back of her neck. "Sure does."

Abby felt the tightness easing and groaned as a particularly stubborn knot popped under his skilful hands. "I hadn't realized it had gotten so bad... missed this last night too."

"Missed it too. Ben's snoring wasn't quite the same."

Abby giggled softly, feeling his fingers undoing her pigtail ties and he continued the massage up over her neck and onto her scalp, rubbing soothing circles. By the time, Gibbs was finished, she felt almost drowsy.

Gibbs tugged her back gently and Abby relaxed back into his arms. He nuzzled the side of her face, pressing his lips to her temple. "Better?"

"Hmm, much... always." Abby rested her hands on his forearms where they crossed on her stomach and felt she could sit here all day. "And I love what you did for Ducky over the last few days."

Gibbs shrugged. "Rule 38."

Abby chuckled, nudging him. "Oh no, you can't hide behind your rules this time. Even without Rule 38, you'd have done the same… c'mon, Gibbs, admit it."

She peered over her shoulder and he tilted his head, a slight smile on his face. "Maybe."

"No maybe about it. You know how down he's been recently, how much he's wanted to come back to work… so letting him be in charge of this case, Special Agent Duckman, that was totally awesome." Abby waved her hands. "It was just what he needed."

"Hope so… Not sure he wanted to let it go, at the end." Gibbs admitted.

He'd seen the disappointment on Ducky's face but also remembered how troubled the M.E. had been, trying to work out how to handle dealing with the victims face to face instead of at one remove down in autopsy.

"Yeah, I heard. He'll be okay… and Jimmy'll be real glad Ducky's back." Abby leaned into him with a sigh. "And now our family's complete again."

Gibbs glanced at her profile, shaking his head at how the two women echoed one another. "Ziva said the same."

Abby smiled. "And Ziva is right… it feels good we're getting back to normal. It's like the last thing we can put behind us after… _him_."

Gibbs turned her face so he could kiss her softly. He cupped her face as he pulled back, studying her seriously. "It will be when you don't have any more nightmares."

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6: One Step at a Time

**Fall of Recovery**

A/N: Spoilers for _Lost at Sea_ and also partly written for the Gabby Forum Hiatus prompts.

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**Chapter 6 – One Step at a Time**

"That tickles."

"What does? That… or that?"

"Both."

Abby squirmed under the teasing fingers, the calluses scraping lightly and raising goosebumps in their wake as his hands wandered over her skin.

A gravelly chuckle sounded in her ear and warm lips pressed into her shoulder. "Better not do that then… or that."

"_Giiiibbs!_ No! Stop it!"

Abby squealed, wriggling on the bed as she tried to move out of reach, but the leg thrown heavily over hers and the hand which moved to curl over her hip anchored her firmly in place.

When her laughter subsided, she turned her head to see amused blue eyes, his silver hair tousled and a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, his expression open and relaxed.

Abby was sprawled on her front, hugging a pillow, as they lay naked and tangled in his sheets where they'd ended up after round two. Gibbs was lying on his side, head propped on one hand while the other ghosted slowly over her back and ass. And until he'd started tormenting her many ticklish spots, Abby had been relaxing into his touch, almost dozing as she relished the feeling of his solid strength and warmth so close.

She loved these lazy mornings, partly because they were so rare in their hectic lives but also because it felt like they were in their own private world in his house. She could happily lie here all day, just soaking up being with him and with his guard down, she saw glimpses of a Gibbs that seemed to be reserved just for her.

And who'd have thought Gibbs was a closet snuggler?

Her eyes ran down the length of his body, over the broad shoulders and chest, still trim hips and long legs. Even after being together all summer, she still had to pinch herself sometimes that every gorgeous inch was all hers.

She returned his smile and buried her head in the pillow, almost purring as she arched into his touch when his hand ran lightly over her back, tracing the outlines of her cross tattoo. She loved having her back stroked… before, during and after sex. Well, mostly before and afterwards because during, there were usually lots of other things she'd rather stroke and have stroked.

"I've been thinking," she murmured.

"Uh-oh. You feeling feverish?" He grinned into her shoulder, nuzzling against the skin, his stubble scraping her skin.

Abby opened an eye, glaring and his grin widened. "Funny guy. As I said, I've been thinking… Been a while since we had a whole weekend off like this."

They'd just wrapped a case working with the Coastguard and the 'other Abby', Agent Borin and it had been a tiring week. Last night all they'd been capable of was a quick bite to eat before falling into bed to sleep, too tired to even think about sex and the fact they'd been apart at night for most of the week.

But they'd made up for it in the early hours when they woke, their bodies gravitating towards one another almost automatically while their minds were still half asleep. Their love making had been languid and tender before they'd fallen asleep again.

Round two had started after breakfast with a heavy make-out session in the kitchen which ended in a sweaty tangle in his bed. And judging from the way Gibbs hands and mouth were roaming, he already had round three on his mind.

"Mmm… not planning on letting you out of here before Monday." Gibbs shifted to lean down and nipped her ass, playfully growling into her skin.

Abby squealed again, batting her hand at him and missing as he pulled back. Gibbs chuckled, pressing a line of kisses up her back and when he settled down beside her again, his arm slid around her waist to pull her nearer.

"It was good to see the other Abby, wasn't it?"

"Uh-huh," mumbled Gibbs into the back of her neck.

Abby glanced over her shoulder, watching as he kissed along her shoulder, unable to resist teasing. "She's a redhead."

A quick look from blue eyes made her giggle and she pressed on.

"A beautiful redhead."

Gibbs paused, eyeing her cautiously. "That a trick question?"

Abby grinned. "Nooo… It was just an observation. I really like her a lot… and so do you, don't you?"

"Mmmm. She's a good agent."

"You ever been tempted?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Gibbs snorted. "Oh, that's definitely a trick question."

She nudged him as he rolled back onto his side. "It isn't, I promise. It's just that it's obvious she likes you and she just seems so normal… and I just wondered."

Abby bit her lip, averting her gaze.

He'd not give her any indication he was anything other than totally committed to them as a couple since they gotten together in the summer, but when she looked around at all the women Gibbs could have… all those women who looked at him like lunch had just arrived… she couldn't help but suffer a few moments of insecurity every now and then as to why he was with _her_.

Gibbs stared at her for a moment, his playfulness dropping away as if sensing her worry. "She's a nice lady… but nah, we're too alike."

"Yeah, I guess you are," Abby agreed softly. Conscious of his gaze, she went on cautiously. "And at least the boys didn't try and fix you up with anyone from Abby's little black book this time?"

Gibbs' lips twitched. "Too busy trying to work out how to ask Borin out themselves."

"Oh, you caught that, did you?" She chuckled as he said nothing but merely raised an eyebrow. "Of course you did. Last year though when they tried to set you up with a date, they meant well, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm glad they didn't try the same thing this time around though… it was awkward enough last year."

Being made to look at photographs of the women Tony and McGee thought were suitable candidates for Gibbs had made her very uncomfortable, and she shifted uneasily even now just thinking about it.

Abby had tried to hide her discomfort at the time behind protests that Gibbs would never love anyone other than his first wife… even as she'd paged through a succession of pictures of sophisticated, elegant women who were about as far removed from looking like herself as it was possible to get.

It had only made her feel that the possibility of being with Gibbs was so remote that not even the boys would put her _type_ in the list of possible candidates.

And yet a year later, here they were, together… and she'd never been happier.

Regretting already bringing up the subject, Abby willed herself to relax again as he ran his fingers over her back gently.

"You get done what ya needed to earlier?" Gibbs asked.

"Yup... all done. And I was nearly ready to escape when Tim cornered me. He wanted to take me out for a bite to eat as I was tired. I felt so bad saying no. I had to think of an excuse why I couldn't, to cover up where I was really going... and I could see he didn't believe me." She twisted round slightly so she could see his face. "I hated lying to him and I'm a terrible liar, Gibbs, you know that."

"Yeah, I know you are," he agreed wryly. He examined her eyes for a moment. "Something else bothering you?"

Abby shrugged, averting her gaze from his too perceptive blue eyes. "A bit... I dunno. It just feels more and more difficult all the time, keeping us quiet. As if... as if it's our dirty little secret rather than the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"There's a way to make sure they don't try anything like fixing me up on a blind date again and make all this sneaking around go away." He held her gaze. "Tell 'em about us."

She blinked, startled. "Well, yeah, that'd do it but… Gibbs, are you sure?"

Gibbs nodded, quirking a smile. "Reckon it's time. If you want to?"

In answer, Abby flung herself at him and Gibbs chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her as he was knocked back on the bed.

"Yeah, of course I do. I just thought you wanted to keep us quiet for a while."

She pulled back slightly in order to see his expression and he framed her face in his hands. "Not so much quiet… just private, Abbs."

"I know, Gibbs, and I'm the same. It's what we agreed together, right?" Abby told him earnestly. "You ever see me broadcasting that many details about my private life to anyone... well, other than you… and Tony… oh, and Ducky?"

Gibbs shook his head, smiling slightly. "Nope." He stared at her seriously, stroking her cheek. "I'm not ashamed of us, Abbs. Just wanted you to myself… and to give you time to be sure you could put up with me.

She leaned in to kiss him softly, murmuring against his mouth. "Oh, I'm sure. There'll never be anyone else for me… you're it for me, you know that, right?"

"Getting there." A slow smile spread across his face, his blue eyes warm. "Love you."

He didn't say it very often so it made it more precious when he did.

"Love you more." Abby pulled his head down into another kiss which lingered and deepened until they were both breathless. She snuggled into his arms when the kiss ended. "Maybe next weekend, we can get up to the cabin."

His arms tightened. "Planning to… should be able to get some more of the window frames done this week."

"Great." She raised her head to smile at him. "Y'know, I love that the cabin is our place. Our private hideaway where we can forget about everything but us."

"That's kinda the point."

"And I love that we've had that same privacy in our relationship as we worked it all out, made sure we weren't driving each other crazy... well, except in a good way." Abby waggled her eyebrows as Gibbs chuckled. "But they're our family and I'd like them to know about us. Want them to know you make me happy. I mean, I know Ducky knows but it would be good if they all did."

Gibbs nodded. "Then we'll tell 'em."

Abby reached up to kiss him again, running her fingers through his hair. When she pulled back, she smiled widely at the look of warmth in his eyes. She dropped her head to his chest again, relaxing into him. "Do you think the team suspect anything… about us, I mean?" A thought struck her. "Wait… I wonder if that's why they didn't try and fix you up with Miss Perfect this time?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Maybe… I'm pretty sure Tony suspects."

Abby nodded against him. "Oh yeah... I've seen him come close to asking me outright a few times, and I think we're hurting him by not trusting him with us. So… when do you wanna tell everyone?"

Gibbs slipped his fingers into her hair, stroking gently. "No point waiting. Next week."

"Next week it is." She pressed a kiss to his chest, squeezing him tightly.

"And Vance."

"D'ya think he'll have a problem with it?" Abby raised her head to see his face. "I mean, technically, I don't report direct to you but..."

Gibbs shrugged. "No reason why he should, but best we tell him rather than he finds out some other way."

Abby couldn't contain her smile, reaching up to trace the lines of his face. "Sounds good."

Gibbs grinned, kissing the tip of her nose. "It does." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Will Tim have a problem?"

Abby bit her lip, shrugging. "Not sure. It's been a long time since we've been together but... I dunno. He does seem to get a bit jealous sometimes."

"I noticed... Know the feeling."

He'd spent years experiencing the unpleasant churn of jealousy in his gut every time Abby was involved with someone else, so he could sympathize with Tim's feelings… but the guy had had his chance.

"So, let me break it gently to him... on my own, okay?" Abby suggested.

"Okay... but he's gotta deal with it. Not giving you up, Abbs."

"Glad to hear it."

Abby captured his mouth in a long kiss and when he pulled back, she ran her hands over his broad shoulders as he grinned down at her. Gibbs urged her onto her front and took his weight on his arms as the full length of his body covered hers, and she shivered at the heat of him against her skin and warm breath over her neck.

"Now where was it you were ticklish? Was it there… or there?"

TBC…


End file.
